DeWitt Law

Richard DeWitt provides business and legal counsel to companies, entrepreneurs, and technology and telecommunications firms regarding corporate, business and transactional matters. As a member of the American Arbitration Association's National Roster of Neutrals and Mediators, the National Arbitration Forum's Panel of Neutrals and as a Florida Supreme Court Certificated Arbitrator and a Certified Civil Circuit Mediator he also serves as an arbitrator and mediator in civil and commercial disputes.

He began legal practice in 1979 with the Florida firm of Shutts & Bowen, where he advised clients on business and securities law matters. In 1982 he joined the Miami office of Squire, Sanders & Dempsey where he represented companies in major transactions and acquisition programs. While at SS&D, Mr. DeWitt began advising technology firms and competitive telecommunications manufacturers, interconnects and carriers on business and regulatory issues resulting from the deregulation of the telecommunications industry.
 
In 1988 Mr. DeWitt became Executive Vice President - Business Development & General Counsel and a principal of Tele-America Communications. Tele-America, a joint venture with USF&G, was the first significant investment in the US competitive public telephone business. He developed and implemented the company's acquisition strategy and grew Tele-America to be the largest competitive public telephone company in US. The company was sold in 1991.

Mr. DeWitt served as President & CEO of Quest Telecom, a switch-based, telecommunications carrier he founded in 1991. The Company developed, with strategic partner Harris DTS, the technology for one of the original prepaid phone card systems and the first automated phone card activation system in the US. He grew Quest into a national provider of retail and wholesale-prepaid telecommunications services. He sold the company in 1997.

Mr. DeWitt was a national leader in the competitive telecommunications industry as it emerged from deregulation and helped chart its future development. He served as Chairman of both the American Public Communications Council and the Prepaid Communications Association (now the International Prepaid Communications Association) and on the Boards of the North American Telecommunications Association and various state telecommunications associations.

Mr. DeWitt has written numerous articles for publication in business and trade journals and he has been a frequent speaker on the legal, regulatory and business issues concerning growth companies, entrepreneurs and the telecommunications industry. He received his Juris Doctor degree (cum laude) from the University of Miami, School of Law, where he served on its Law Review, and his Bachelors of Arts degree from Florida International University.

His professional activities include the American Bar Association (Business Law and Dispute Resolution Sections) Florida Bar (Business Law and Dispute Resolution Sections) Dade County Bar Association and the Coral Gables Bar Association, the Association for Conflict Resolution  (Chairman - Commercial Section) and the Florida Academy of Professional Mediators. Mr. DeWitt is a Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators. He participates in various business organizations including the Coral Gables Chambers of Commerce . Mr. DeWitt serves as Chairman the City of Coral Gables.

Publications

- Co-Author, "No Pay No Play: How to Solve the Non-Paying Party Problem in Arbitration,"  Dispute Resolution Journal, February - April 2005;

- Author, "Industry Developments in Public Communications," PROSPECTIVES ON PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS, monthly article, 1992-93;

- Author, "Partnerships of Professional Corporations," PROFESSIONAL CORPORATIONS AND NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATIONS, Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education, 1983;

- Author, CORPORATE LAW, Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education, 1981;

- Co-author, "Florida and Federal Disclosure Requirements," SECURITIES LAW, Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education, 1979.

Speaking Enagements

- Speaker, Coral Gables Bar Association, "Recent Developments in Arbitration" Coral Gables 2005;

- Speaker, AAA - Arbitrator Round Table, "No Pay - No Play - A Solution to the Non Paying Party Problem" Miami 2004;

- Speaker, AAA - CLE Program, "International Arbitration" Miami 2004;

- Speaker, AAA-CLE Program, "Drafting Effective Arbitration Clauses" Miami 2004
Moderator, Organization of American States (OAS) - summit debriefing of the Monterrey Summit of the Americas for Heads of State and the Democratic Governance Issues of the Haiti Crisis, Coral Gables 2004;

- Speaker, AAA-CLE Program, "Arbitration Advocacy Workshop" Miami, 2004

- Speaker, "Managing Your Growth in a Changing Environment," Merrill Lynch Business Leaders Conference, Coral Gables, 2002;

- Speaker, "Alternative Dispute Resolution," Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce Impact Council, Coral Gables, 2002;

- Speaker, "Application of State Escheat Laws to Prepaid Phone Cards," Intelecard Conference, Houston, 1997; 

- Speaker, "Developing Telecom Infrastructures," IBC Seminars, Hong Kong, 1995;

- Speaker, "Developing Telecom Infrastructures," IBC Seminars, New York, 1994;